Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to lessen the amount of bureaucracy faced by livestock producers.

Ross Finnie: There are several initiatives aimed specifically at reducing bureaucracy for Scottish farmers, including livestock farmers in particular. These are the Red Tape Review, the CAP Administration Review, the CAP External Communications Strategy and the Electronic Cattle Traceability System Project. Livestock farmers have already benefited from the following:

  - the introduction of electronic access to the central Cattle Traceability System (CTS). This is a key element of the proposed Electronic Cattle Traceability (ECT) system; it facilitates the electronic transfer of cattle information between the industry and the central database. The new system will reduce administrative burdens and the opportunity for errors.

  - the introduction of Electronic Service Delivery (ESD). We are building on last year’s successful SCPS pilot exercise to develop facilities which will allow each SCPS 2001 claimant the option of submitting their claim form electronically. Our intention is to introduce progressively arrangements for electronic claim submission under the remaining subsidy schemes.

  - for the new Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme (LFASS), the avoidance of duplication by using information already held in relation to the Suckler Cow Premium Scheme (SCPS) and the Sheep Annual Premium Scheme (SAPS). For most claimants, completion of the LFASS claim form only requires some ticks and a signature.

  - the introduction, under IACS 2001, of a "no change declaration" for forage-only applicants whose circumstances have not altered from the previous year. This will avoid repetition and save time.

  - the introduction of "all bovine" farm inspections from September 2000. These will reduce the number and duration of farm visits overall, saving time for the farmer and officials.

  - the introduction of an appeals mechanism covering, amongst other schemes, all the CAP livestock subsidy schemes. We intend extending this mechanism to cover livestock quotas.

  - the formation of an External Communications Panel which monitors and suggests improvements to scheme literature and forms. The panel’s work is being extended to assist in reviewing the department’s "standard letters", published guidance and forms.

  In relation to the problems arising from foot-and-mouth disease, the department has made it clear in a "Dear Producer" letter that it will apply the force majeure provisions of the CAP subsidy schemes as flexibly as possible. Further information will be issued to producers shortly on foot-and-mouth disease matters.

Cancer

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cancer patients are currently participating in clinical trials.

Susan Deacon: Information is not held centrally in the format requested.

Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the funding distributed from the Scottish budget was distributed through non-departmental public bodies in each year for which figures are available, given as a cash figure and as a percentage of the overall budget.

Angus MacKay: Annex 2 of the 2000 Annual Expenditure Report, Investing In You shows Non-Departmental Public Bodies expenditure within Total Budget for 1994-95 to 2000-01.

  This is published on the Scottish Executive’s website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library2/doc14/iiy-20.asp

  The table shows these figures expressed as a percentage of Total Budget:

  


£ million 
  

1995-96 
  

1996-97 
  

1997-98 
  

1998-99 
  

1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  



NDPB expenditure 
  

1,903.8 
  

1,959.2 
  

1,990.9 
  

1,961.5 
  

2,011.6 
  

2,048.2 
  



Total Budget 
  

14,278.0 
  

14,940.0 
  

14,850.0 
  

15,254.0 
  

16,303.0 
  

16,852.0 
  



NDPB as % Total Budget 
  

13.3 
  

13.1 
  

13.4 
  

12.9 
  

12.3 
  

12.2

Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of net public sector capital investment in Scotland was in each year for which figures are available.

Angus MacKay: The table sets out capital expenditure in the public sector for the period 1999-2000 to 2003-04.

  


1999-2000
actual 
  

2000-01
plan 
  

2001-02
plan 
  

2002-03
plan 
  

2003-04
plan 
  



£ million 
  

£ million 
  

£ million 
  

£ million 
  

£ million 
  



1,768 
  

1,998 
  

2,283 
  

2,409 
  

2,515

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that there will be no environmental pollution arising from the use of a burial site at Birkshaw Farm, Lockerbie, for animals culled as part of its measures to eradicate foot-and-mouth disease.

Ross Finnie: The site was selected with advice from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) in order to minimise the risk of environmental pollution from the burial of culled animals. We are working closely with SEPA to undertake a risk assessment that will inform long-term management of the site. SEPA will monitor the site over the coming months as a quality check against baseline water parameters and will continue to provide pollution prevention advice on operations. The Executive has commissioned an environmental consultant to provide specialist engineering advice on excavation methods, site containment, drainage and related matters.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what permissions, licences or waivers it has granted for the use of Birkshaw Farm, Lockerbie, as a site for the burial of dead animals.

Ross Finnie: Under the terms of the Animal Health Act (1981), the Scottish Executive (SE) cleared the use of the site. Site suitability has been cleared by the SVS after advice from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). SEPA has assessed the suitability of the site and is satisfied that the risks of pollution can be minimised. SEPA is also closely involved with the SE in developing plans for monitoring and the on-going management of the site. Further advice has also been sought by SE from environmental consultants and this will be checked by SEPA so as to ensure that the risk of adverse environmental impacts will be minimised.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how the foot-and-mouth disease-related culls in Dumfries and Galloway and Cumbria are being co-ordinated.

Ross Finnie: There is regular contact between those controlling and co-ordinating the Cumbria operation and those involved in Dumfries and Galloway.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what veterinary resources are available to carry out the pre-emptive, foot-and-mouth disease-related cull of animals in Dumfries and Galloway.

Ross Finnie: As of 1 April 2001, 17 full-time veterinary staff and 53 temporary veterinary inspectors were operational on foot-and-mouth disease duties in Dumfries and Galloway.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will keep MSPs advised of developments in the foot-and-mouth disease situation during the Easter recess.

Ross Finnie: We have decided to lodge a regularly updated information note with the Parliament’s Reference Centre. The first of these was submitted on Friday 30 March. The intention is to provide twice weekly updates. This will continue over Easter.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that the burning of foot-and-mouth disease infected carcasses is not spreading the virus.

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what research is being carried out into the potential spread of foot-and-mouth disease from the burning of infected carcasses.

Ross Finnie: Epidemiologists have undertaken a thorough review of all scientific literature on the possible dangers of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) spreading as a result of burning infected carcasses. This included the Northumberland Report on the 1967-68 outbreak which concluded there was insufficient evidence. The expert view is that FMD will not be spread by burning carcasses for three reasons: the concentration of virus in the smoke is relatively low, the virus falls out of the smoke within a fairly short distance from the fire, and the desiccating effect of the fire inactivates the virus (although this has not been proved conclusively). Additionally, carcasses are sprayed with disinfectant before they are cremated so there is no virus on the surface of the carcasses when the fire is lit.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the 10 additional non-EU countries now being allowed to export specified offal material to the UK are free from foot-and-mouth disease.

Ross Finnie: The Standing Veterinary Committee recently agreed Decision 2001/270/EC on third countries and BSE. All countries (including those not already assessed) will have to remove Specified Risk Material (SRM) before exporting meat products to the UK. The 10 countries exempt from this requirement are (recognised by the Scientific Steering Committee as being highly unlikely to present a BSE risk): Australia, Argentina, Botswana, Chile, Namibia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Uruguay and Swaziland.

  The Office International des Epicotes currently recognise foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) free status in Australia, Chile, New Zealand and Uruguay. Botswana and Namibia are FMD free in their export zones where vaccination is banned. Paraguay is FMD free using vaccination. Nicaragua have never reported FMD but are not in the current OIE list. Argentina’s status was recently suspended following a change in control policy. Swaziland’s status was recently suspended due to occurrence of disease.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Mr John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider further relaxation of the rules governing movement of livestock in areas of low risk from foot-and-mouth disease.

Ross Finnie: I refer to the ministerial statement I gave to Parliament on 5 April 2001 where relaxation of movement controls were announced.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to restore confidence in Scottish industries affected by the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-14552 on 28 March 2001.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what stocks of foot-and-mouth disease vaccine there are in Scotland and, if there are none, what steps it has taken to obtain stocks and in particular whether it has directly or through Her Majesty’s Government applied for any of the stocks of the vaccine held in the EU.

Ross Finnie: Contingency plans are in place to obtain from several sources adequate supplies of vaccine to help combat the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Scotland. The use of the vaccine in Scotland will only be considered where veterinary advice based on science and epidemiology recommends its use. The final decision to vaccinate will be taken by Scottish ministers.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any evidence that new outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease have occurred as a result of the burning of infected carcasses.

Ross Finnie: There is no evidence to suggest that new outbreaks of foot-and-mouth (FMD) have occurred as a result of burning infected carcasses. Epidemiologists believe that FMD will not be spread by burning carcasses for three reasons: the concentration of virus in the smoke is relatively low; the virus falls out of the smoke within a fairly short distance from the fire, and the desiccating effect of the fire inactivates the virus (although this has not been proved conclusively). Additionally, carcasses are sprayed with disinfectant before they are cremated so there is no virus on the surface of the carcasses when the fire is lit.

Genetically Modified Crops

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many genetically modified crop trials are necessary for there to be sufficient evidence regarding any potential risks to health and the environment.

Ross Finnie: The farm scale evaluation programme is not designed to test the safety of the GM crop. The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) and scientific advisors on other statutory bodies have advised ministers that this crop does not pose a safety threat to human health or the environment. Without this expert advice, these crops would not be granted consent to be grown.

  The three-year farm scale evaluation programme, which began in 2000, is one of the largest ecological research projects ever undertaken and will provide valuable information on any effects that the practices needed to grow GM herbicide-tolerant crops may have on local biodiversity. The Scientific Steering Committee that oversees the programme has suggested that data from between 60 and 75 fields of each trial crop are required over the duration of the programme across the UK. It is the committee’s view that this will provide sufficient data to enable significant conclusions to be drawn, taking account of the diversity of farm types and ecological conditions across the UK.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to ensure that patients with mental illness are given high quality nutritional care.

Malcolm Chisholm: Our National Health  contains clear commitments to ensure that high quality, nutritious food is available to all patients. The plan commits the NHS to implement the recommendations of the National Nutritional Audit and the relevant recommendations of Eating for Health - a Diet Plan for Scotland by April 2001. The Clinical Standards Board for Scotland will review local performance annually against these national standards.

  I expect the particular needs of those with a mental illness or any others who may perhaps be limited in their explanations or expression of preferences to be taken into account by staff as part of the whole person consideration that should apply in all cases.

Justice

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4387 by Mr Jim Wallace on 29 February 2001, whether it will provide the updated average time period figures for the same courts for each quarter from January 2000 to date.

Mr Jim Wallace: The following table shows the average waiting periods between plea and trial, in summary criminal proceedings, at the conclusion of each quarter of the year 2000 for the sheriff courts at Linlithgow, Stirling, Falkirk, Dundee, Hamilton, Lanark, Dunfermline and Haddington. The Parliament’s Reference Centre currently receive monthly updates on the average waiting periods for summary criminal and ordinary civil proceedings for all sheriff courts.

  Average Waiting Periods:

  





March 2000 
  

June 2000 
  

September 2000 
  

December 2000 
  



Linlithgow 
  

17 
  

12 
  

16 
  

15 
  



Stirling 
  

21 
  

14 
  

14 
  

13 
  



Falkirk 
  

20 
  

14 
  

13 
  

15 
  



Dundee 
  

22 
  

20 
  

17 
  

15 
  



Hamilton 
  

11 
  

15 
  

18 
  

17 
  



Lanark 
  

10 
  

9 
  

10 
  

10 
  



Dunfermline 
  

14 
  

13 
  

14 
  

15 
  



Haddington 
  

10 
  

11 
  

11 
  

14

Local Government Finance

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13062 by Mr Jack McConnell on 8 March 2001, whether it will define the contribution from their budgets which local authorities would normally be expected to make.

Angus MacKay: In addition to Scottish Executive grant support, local authorities are expected to fund an element of their total expenditure from local taxation. The exact level of expenditure on specific services is dependent on local policy decisions. However, the grant provision we are making over the next three years more than meets our commitment to fund the additional McCrone costs in full.

Maternity Services

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why NHS Trusts are able to consider utilising midwife-led units remote from obstetrician access when the report of the Tayside Acute Services Review recommends that the safety issues surrounding these units should be fully explored in order to find if such units are safe.

Susan Deacon: Evidence from midwife-led units around Great Britain suggests that, where there is a geographical imperative, community maternity units may be considered for low-risk women with a normal pregnancy. This may provide a model of care for remote and rural areas, offering a local service choice for women. The National Framework for Maternity Services , published in February 2001, recommends that every community maternity unit have a clearly established link – support, advice and transfer – to a consultant-led maternity and neonatal unit. Risk and contingency plans for referral and transfer should be fully discussed with every woman who chooses to use a midwife-led unit.

NHS Services

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it is expected that the Electronic Clinical Communications Initiative will be available throughout Scotland.

Susan Deacon: Electronic Clinical Communications Implementation (ECCI) is a Scotland-wide programme to ensure the development of electronic clinical communications between primary and secondary care throughout NHSScotland. By 2003 it is expected that extensive implementation of clinical communications will be in place, including:

  widespread clinical e-mail

  co-ordinated referral information

  out-patient appointment booking - protocol-based where appropriate

  test ordering and results receiving

  discharge letters and summaries and clinic letters

  information in support of shared care

NHS Staff

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why only six medical oncologists in Scotland are funded by the NHS, given that cancer is one of the top three clinical priorities in the Scottish Health Plan.

Susan Deacon: As indicated in the answer to Ms Scanlon’s question S1W-10403 there were 14 medical oncology consultants at September 2000. Of these, eight consultants held an honorary contract with the NHS and a substantive contract with a university or research organisation. For this, as for every other specialty, honorary consultants have a service delivery in addition to a teaching and research role, and there may well be NHS funding provided by local agreement. The position in medical oncology reflects the international standing of Scotland in research in this field, which makes a significant contribution to the quality of cancer services for the people of Scotland.

  In addition to the consultants, there are other doctors providing medical oncology services. 17 Specialist Registrars together with two non-consultant career grade doctors provide a high level of expertise, and Senior House Officers and Pre-Registration House Officers provide support.

  The clinical priority of cancer is also supported by clinical oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, surgeons specialising in cancer work and a whole range of other specialist staff. Six additional consultants and a proportion of the additional 100 junior doctors announced in June last year will provide cancer services. The further 375 junior doctors I announced on 1 April will be allocated according to service needs and I expect a proportion of those to support cancer services.

New Deal

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the announcement on 26 March 2001 by the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the creation of 5,000 IT jobs for unemployed people, what representations it has made to Her Majesty’s Government to ensure that at least one of the five areas being chosen for the project to run is in Scotland.

Ms Wendy Alexander: My officials are in close and regular contact with colleagues in DfEE and the UK New Deal Task Force Secretariat regarding development of the Ambition: IT initiative.

  The Career Ambition strand of the initiative is a three-year pilot programme aiming to train 5,000 New Deal participants as ICT technicians in five city areas. The selection process for the final five areas has yet to be established although the shortlist of nine does include both Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Nutrition

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which primary schools are taking part in pilot projects in which children are provided with free fruit and vegetables.

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how long the pilot projects in which primary school children are provided with free fruit and vegetables will last.

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of how often and how much fruit is made available in the pilot projects in which primary school children are provided with free fruit and vegetables.

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the aims are of the pilot projects in which primary school children are provided with free fruit and vegetables.

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much the pilot projects in which primary school children are provided with free fruit and vegetables are costing.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive’s recent provision of resources from its £26 million Health Improvement Fund to all health boards is enabling them to work with their local partners to introduce a range of initiatives, including the provision of fruit for infants in pre-school settings and fruit and salad bars and breakfast clubs in schools. Initiatives are supported according to local needs, and projects vary in their format, length and costs from area to area. Each of these initiatives is designed specifically to stimulate children’s interest in, and enjoyment of, fruit and vegetables.

  Funding for the Health Improvement Fund has been committed until 2003-04, and health boards have been asked to give a full public account of how these resources are being invested, and what they have helped local people to achieve, through their annual reports and the accountability review process.

Nutrition

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it would cost to provide free fruit for all primary school children.

Malcolm Chisholm: As part of their allocations from the £26 million Health Improvement Fund, health boards are tasked with supporting the provision of fruit to infants, and breakfast clubs and fruit/salad bars in schools according to local needs.

  A reliable estimate of the cost of a uniform national scheme is not available. The Glasgow "Fruit to Schools" project estimates that it will cost £722,150 a year to provide one piece of fruit three days per week to 56,129 primary pupils. The 1997 school census reported a total of 452,500 primary school pupils in Scotland. The cost per pupil would be higher in less densely populated and more remote areas of Scotland.

Parliamentary Questions

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will give a substantive answer to question S1W-13248.

Ross Finnie: Parliamentary question S1W-13248 was answered on 30 March 2001.

Parliamentary Questions

John Young (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9992 by Mr Tom McCabe on 4 October 2000, whether the result of the study to establish the average cost of parliamentary questions is now available and, if so, what that average cost is.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Executive has considered the initial findings of the study of the costs of answering Scottish parliamentary questions (PQ). The preliminary results suggested that the average cost of answering a PQ was £82, which is broadly in line with the experience in Westminster. However, there were a number of outlying results from the study that it has not been possible to clarify. For that reason, the Executive is reluctant to draw any firm conclusions from the study and has therefore decided to extend the study into a second phase now that processes for handling PQs have settled down. This will be taken forward over the next few months.

Pig Industry

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Pig Outgoers and Pig Ongoers schemes will be in operation.

Ross Finnie: The Pig Outgoers 1 Scheme was launched on 4 December 2000 and applicants have been advised if their applications have been successful or not. The Pig Outgoers 2 Scheme, which I announced on 12 March 2001, will remain open for applications until 20 April 2001.

  The Pig Ongoers Scheme opened on 22 January 2001; the closing date for applications will be 3 August this year or earlier if the available funds have been allocated prior to that time.

Rail Services

John Young (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings it has had with senior officials of (a) Railtrack and (b) ScotRail over the past three months; what matters were discussed at any such meetings; what action was agreed, and whether satisfactory progress is being made in relation to any such agreed action.

Sarah Boyack: Scottish Executive officials regularly meet representatives of Railtrack and ScotRail to discuss a wide range of issues regarding the operation of railways in Scotland.

Scottish Executive Accommodation

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it received from Dumfries and Galloway Council during the consultation process to decide where the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care and the Scottish Social Services Council would be located.

Malcolm Chisholm: Dumfries and Galloway Council submitted information on buildings within Crichton Business Park in response to the invitation to submit properties for consideration as offices for the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care and the Scottish Social Services Council.

Scottish Executive Accommodation

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the basis was for its decision to locate the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care and the Scottish Social Services Council in Dundee.

Malcolm Chisholm: The decision to locate the headquarters of the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care and the Scottish Social Services Council in Dundee was made on the basis of the range and cost of suitable accommodation of the required size which was available, transport and labour market considerations.

Scottish Opera

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-2955 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 15 February 2001, whether it will make available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre any correspondence between it, Scottish Opera and the Scottish Arts Council regarding the need for £1 million of additional funding for Scottish Opera in the current or next financial year.

Allan Wilson: No, the background to the future funding of Scottish Opera was set out in Sam Galbraith’s answer to question S1W-14238 on 16 March.

Taxation

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in connection with its social justice objectives, it has carried out any research into the impact of varying take-up rates of the Working Families’ Tax Credit on unemployment levels in deprived communities and, if not, whether it will commission such research.

Jackie Baillie: All tax matters, including the Working Families’ Tax Credit, are reserved to the UK Government. Operational matters are therefore an issue for the Inland Revenue. The Executive will, however, continue to work closely with UK ministers on this and other issues in the pursuit of our social justice agenda.

Tourism

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applicants were interviewed for the post of chair of visitscotland.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: Five applicants were interviewed for this post.

Tourism

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applicants there were for the post of chair of visitscotland.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: There were 27 applicants for this post.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Scottish Parliament Website

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer,  further to his answer to question S1W-14079 on 23 March 2001, which ethnic and European languages are being considered for use in making public information about the Parliament available on its website and under which of these language categories information is likely to be made available in Scots.

Sir David Steel: The languages under consideration are Urdu, Chinese, Punjabi, Hindi, Gujarati, Scots, French, German, Spanish and Italian. For the purposes of presentation of information on the website, there will be no distinction between categories of language. Users will select from a menu of options listing the languages currently available.